Reading

Young Mico is a slave in a big house in Pompeii. His only friend is the house dog, Fortunatus. One quiet summer day, Fortunatus suddenly runs away. He takes Mico with him. What does the dog know? What is he afraid of? Is it, perhaps, the mountain behind the town?

When Andrew Manson starts work as a doctor he discovers some unpleasant facts about the medical profession. He struggles against a system that seems to value money more than curing illness. But the system is extremely powerful. Will he win his battle?

Count Dracula is a vampire. He drinks people's blood. He lives in a lonely castle in the mountains of Transylvania. But then he comes to England and strange things start happening. People change. People become ill. Professor Van Helsing knows about vampires, but can he stop Count Dracula?

All kinds of people, from shopkeepers to kings, want the help of Sherlock Holmes in these six stories about the adventures of the famous detective. Who put a diamond in a chicken? Why is there a club for men with red hair? How did the man at the lake die? Can Sherlock Holmes solve the mysteries?

Doctor Faustus is a clever man who is greedy for knowledge and power. After he signs an agreement with the Devil, in his own blood, his new skills are admired around the world. But there are two sides to an agreement with the Devil. There is a price to pay...

Why is the frightening Mr Hyde a friend of the nice Dr Jekyll? Who is the evil little man? And why does he seem to have power over the doctor? After a terrible murder, everyone is looking for Mr Hyde. But he has disappeared. Or has he?

A young woman comes to a big house to teach two young children. It's her first job and she wants to do it well. But she begins to see strange things – the ghosts of dead people. Do the ghosts want the children?

On the night of April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. This is the full story. Why did the Titanic sink so quickly? Why did so many people die? What are the stories of all those people, young and old, rich and poor?

Shakespeare's plays are famous all over the world – in the theatre, in film and in the classroom. What do we know about the man? What kind of life did he have? Who were his friends? Why can we still laugh and suffer with his characters 400 years after his death?

Alexander the Great has fascinated people since his death more than 2300 years ago. By the age of thirty he ruled the biggest Empire the world had ever known. This remarkable leader brought civilization to millions and shaped our world.

Katrina Kirby is a detective. People call her ‘K'. There has been a murder in a big country house. ‘K' knows that one of five people murdered Sir Michael Gray. Who did it? How? Why? This is a detective story with a difference: ‘K' needs your help with her case.